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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill addresses standards for, and the evaluation of, high school athletic coaches.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 ▸ defines terms;
14 ▸ requires a local education agency (LEA) to develop coaching standards for high
15 school athletic coaches;
16 ▸ with possible exceptions, requires a principal to conduct an annual standardized
17 evaluation of a head coach based on the standards developed by the LEA;
18 ▸ requires a principal to provide a coach with a copy of a completed evaluation; and
19 ▸ for an athletic coach who is also an educator, prohibits an LEA from taking action
20 in relation to the coach's status as an educator based on an evaluation of the coach's
21 performance as a coach.
22 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
23 None
24 Other Special Clauses:
25 None
26 Utah Code Sections Affected:
27 ENACTS:
28 53G-7-221, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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30 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
31 Section 1. Section 53G-7-221 is enacted to read:
32 53G-7-221. Athletic coach evaluations.
33 (1) As used in this section:
34 (a) "Association" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-1101.
35 (b) "Athletic coach" means an individual who, on behalf of an LEA, coaches students
36 participating in a sport.
37 (c) "Classification" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-1101.
38 (d) "Completed coach evaluation" means a completed evaluation described in
39 Subsection (3), including any response provided by a coach as described in Subsection (4).
40 (e) "Contest" means an interscholastic meet, game, tournament, or other competitive
41 activity.
42 (f) "Interscholastic activity" means the same as that term is defined in Section
43 53G-7-1101.
44 (g) "LEA" means a school district or charter school that serves students in grade 9, 10,
45 11, or 12.
46 (h) "Sport" means an athletic interscholastic activity sanctioned by an association.
47 (i) (i) "Sport season" means the competition season for a sport.
48 (ii) A sport season ends on the day of the last sanctioned state contest for the sport,
49 regardless of whether the last sanctioned state contest is for schools in a different classification.
50 (2) (a) In consultation with an association and groups and organizations that represent
51 athletic coaches in the state, an LEA shall establish:
52 (i) professional standards for athletic coaches; and
53 (ii) an evaluation form to be used to evaluate an athletic coach's performance relative to
54 the standards established under Subsection (2)(a)(i).
55 (b) The standards established under Subsection (2)(a) shall include standards related to
56 an athletic coach's:
57 (i) relationship with students, administrators, referees, parents, and other stakeholders;
58 (ii) training and certification; and
59 (iii) use and management of athletic resources, including fiscal and facility resources.
60 (c) The evaluation form established under Subsection (2)(a) shall include space for an
61 evaluator to include student and parent input regarding an athletic coach.
62 (d) In connection with the standards established under Subsection (2)(a), an LEA may
63 adopt a policy by which an athletic coach may opt out of an evaluation that would otherwise be
64 required by this section.
65 (3) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (8), within 10 business days after a sport
66 season ends, a public school or charter school principal or the principal's designee shall
67 evaluate the school's head athletic coach for that sport using the relevant evaluation form
68 established by the applicable LEA under Subsection (2).
69 (b) An individual performing an evaluation under this section shall include, as part of
70 the evaluation, student and parent input regarding the athletic coach.
71 (4) Upon completion of an evaluation under Subsection (3), the principal or the
72 principal's designee who conducts the evaluation shall provide the coach with:
73 (a) a copy of the evaluation; and
74 (b) a reasonable opportunity to provide a written response to the evaluation.
75 (5) After complying with Subsection (4), an LEA shall maintain the completed coach
76 evaluation as part of the coach's personnel file.
77 (6) An LEA shall classify a completed coach evaluation as a private performance
78 evaluation under Subsection 63G-2-302(2)(a).
79 (7) For an athletic coach who is also an educator, as that term is defined in Section
80 53G-11-501, an LEA may not take action in relation to the athletic coach's position as an
81 educator based on an evaluation performed under this section.
82 (8) If an LEA adopts a policy described in Subsection (2)(d), the obligations of a public
83 school or charter school principal described in Subsection (3) do not apply for an athletic coach
84 who opts out of a coaching evaluation in accordance with the policy adopted by the LEA.